Irish Foreign Minister set to meet Secretary of State to discuss Stormont deadlock

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney is due to meet with the Northern Ireland Secretary of State to discuss the ongoing stalemate at Stormont.

It comes after Chris Heaton-Harris met with leaders of Northern Ireland political parties on Tuesday.

Following the meetings he issued a statement in which he said he will set out the next steps in dealing with the power-sharing vacuum in Northern Ireland in due course.

Stormont leaders, however, said he had provided "no clarity" during meetings as to how he will deal with the ongoing political deadlock.

The 24-week deadline for forming a functioning power-sharing Executive in Belfast following May's election ran out at midnight on Friday.

Once the deadline passed, the UK Government assumed a legal responsibility to call a fresh election within 12 weeks.

Chris Heaton-Harris failed to set a new date for a poll after the deadline passed, despite repeatedly indicating that he would do so the minute the legislative deadline for calling the vote passed.

Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), Michéal Martin said there is a legitimate basis for a discussion on whether the government system in Northern Ireland needs reform and "recalibrated".

He said there should be a move towards a more "normal government" and "opposition-style politics".

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